Going to Paris?advice,stories of caution,good places to eat??

Question

well im going to be staying with a french family,and have very basic french,im 18,any tips would help,and if your bothered, can you ansewer any of these....

whats the weather like in france feb-march?how expensive is paris in terms of clothes and cost of living?is crime a problem?

where is the night life in paris?how strong is the parisian accent(compared t southern people whom i have spoken with?

are french girls into forigners?(lol i know but its worth asking)

how big is paris city itself(ie could i just go exploring or would i need a guide/car)??and finally i have a day compleatly free with a few english speaking friends i should....

i know,too many questions but i'm nervous, i'd like to hear from others if they have done this as well.......

Answer 1

as a former parisian...i would recommend 2 other things if you want to have some special time.

---restaurant " A NOS ANCETRES LES GAULOIS", it`s on the little island ( ile saint-michel ) across the bridge from massive Notre-dame cathedral right downtown. Old-school buffet food where you can have as much as you like. A wine barrel free on the table... look for guests to end up throwing food at you, it`s like eating with the vikings.

--- Discothek " REX-CLUB" best electro temple in town

Answer 2

learn how to french kiss.

Answer 3

Here are some eating places that I've enjoyed...

Les Canons des Gobelins, just outside the Gobelins metro station, try the Panini Rome (ham & cheese, with super fresh lettuces and tomatoes on bread with sesame seeds).

Les Philosophes in the Marias.  The lamb chops were wonderful.

Le Tresor in the Marais.  I had steak frites (steak and french fries).

L'allouette, on rue de la Glaciere in the 13th.  I can't remember what main course I ordered, but the profiteroles were wonderful!  

The pizzeria across from l'institute des administration des entreprise, on rue Broca, in the 5th had interesting pizza.  I didn't care for it, but the person I ate with that night liked it enough to go there three times during our two-week trip.

Also, try getting lunch from one of the many bakeries in the city.  We were wandering one day and found one that had warm quiche.  The bakery across St. Martin from the G20 supermarket in Beaubourg has hot dogs and other sandwiches.  

If you really get hungry for American food, there are lots of fast food restaurants.  Also, my French friend likes Joe Allen, an American restaurant near Chatelet.  He recommended the caesar salad, quesadillas, and banana cream pie.  LOL!

There are also some cafes on rue du Bac, near musee d'Orsay.  I can't remember the name of the one that I enjoyed so much, but it had huge outdoor space heaters when I was there for new years last year.  

One great thing about restaurants in Europe is that menus are posted outside.  That way, you can see what they have and how much it costs without going inside.

Answer 4

Love, love love it!!! You will have a great time!!

Here is a link to some restaurants (I wish I had known of Angelina's - looks delicious!)

http://www.gallagherstravels.com/interna...

the street vendors with the ham/cheese paninis are good as well as the crepes.    

The city is huge but very intimate.  Maps are helpful and the Metro is a great (and easy and relatively inexpensive) way to get around.  

Metro/RER info:

http://www.pariswelcome.net/metro/metro-...

Just make sure you carry a money pouch and keep your hand on in in Opera district and getting on/off trains and waiting for trains.  I had a friend get robbed by gypsies no older than teenagers getting onto the train.  He had, unfortunately, put a large sum of cash in his pocket and they must have been watching... some try to bump into you and distract you while the other one does the pickpocketing.... just be careful.  It should be a fun trip.

Answer 5

I went there in Feb and the weather was cool....not cold really and I didn't even need a coat. It was overcast for the most part however...but you gotta take the good with the bad.

My French is pretty sketchy...I did a year at school and found it helpful but some people seemed to speak to me in words I didn't know!!! Menus were the worst as they are not often translated into english and I had forgotton more than I remembered~! I phrase book was handy tho.

You can get around Paris by metro...its very effiecent...but for the most part you can walk around the central area where most of the cool things are.

I think once you get there you will love it and get used to it pretty quickly...some people say the metro is confusing, but I found it perfectly fine!

I didn't bother to go into clothes shops, but I would say they would be pricey!!!

Other things will also be pricey there too eg food and whatnot, but I guess the locals may know some tricks of the trade so to speak and know where to go for some bargins.

The negative things I saw was the homeless people living around the stations ( and the smell of urine was the first things I smelt coming out of Gare du Nord!!!!) and the beggers, mainly in the metros...just ignore them. ( oh a good thing I remember now was the muscians that are also around the metro....on it ( busking) which I thought was pretty neat.

Answer 6

try the pumpido center area, it's young people area and it's fun!!!! if you want to see some travel video guide about paris, see this link: http://www.sutree.com/Learn.aspx?q=paris

cheers

eric

Answer 7

OK, February is the second coldest month of the year so Feb-March will most likely be cold in Paris, so dress warm. But check the forecast before you go.

Despite what a lot of Americans say Paris is a very affordable city compared to other European capitals and major US cities but with the euro being strong, clothes will not be a good deal for you so I suggest you only buy clothes that you find unique and wouldn't find where you live, otherwise don't bother, clothes are generally cheaper in the States.

Transportation is cheap (a bunch of 10 métro tickets is 11.20 €, a weekly pass is 16.30 €) and you can walk to most interesting places in central Paris. Read a couple of guide books about Paris before going but do not follow them as a bible, it's just to give you an idea of what's there. But do bring a map! Then go exploring on your own, venture into little streets, etc without looking at the map (just use it in case you REALLY get lost!). You'll love the street life in the 4th, 5th and 6th arrondissements both for day life and night life. Bastille also has a lot of night life but I don't like that district too much myself. At night, drinks are expensive but I suppose you're not going there to get wasted, which would look very ridiculous anyway. Drinks are to be enjoyed slowly. If you are American you will feel very free there compared to the US as there are no drinking age laws or anything like that. Here is a site listing cheap restaurants: http://www.resto-pas-cher.com/

Food is affordable, lunch will cost you around 8 € and a 3-course meal around 15 € (no need to tip, service is included). Average museum price will be around 6 € for you or free on certain nights of the week.

Crime won't be an issue if you stay away from some districts in the north and north east of Paris. Around Opera and elsewhere, watch out for the gypsies because they are good pickpockets and in general just watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas (including the métro): do not carry your wallet in a backpack, always keep it in a front pocket.

Yes, girls are into foreigners, of course! (I'm French and married an American). No doubt they'll find you charming. Few people nowadays have a strong Parisian accent (which is not very elegant but easy to understand) so most will have a more or less standard French accent. Have a great stay in Paris!